*SEVEN THINGS GOD IS SAYING IN DANIEL CHAPTER 4*
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I. “I HATE PRIDE!” - THE DREAM - (v4-17)
Proverbs 6:16-17 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look...KJV
(a) IS THERE ANYTHING SPIRITUAL ABOUT LOW SELF ESTEEM?
1. Some people believe that God desires us to have low self esteem. To think of ourselves as nobodies. Don’t take care of ourselves and let people run over us and our families. God never expects us to think of ourselves as nobodies. We are His children and we should view ourselves as special to God.
2. The media teaches our daughters to view themselves as unacceptable in the public eye because they aren’t skinny.
The church might give the impression that our daughters should accept this view because we aren’t to be prideful.
Young lady, God loves you! He created you. Stop thinking of yourself as second class because of who you are.
3. Never mistake low self esteem with pride.
(b) TO LIVE LIKE THERE IS NO GOD IS PRIDE!
1. If we say we love God, yet we live like He doesn’t exist, that is pride.
2. If we say we believe that God is returning soon, yet we live like he will never return, that is pride.
3. To say you believe in God, yet you refuse to surrender to Him, that is pride.
4. Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God over the last 3 chapters we’ve looked at, but he refused to surrender to Him. God was about to deal with that.
5. To say you don’t need God IS SATANIC
ISAIAH 14:12-15 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
(c) TO LIVE LIKE WE ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS IS PRIDE!
1. Jewish leaders were called to lead by being accessible to the people as shepherds. Eastern kings were right the opposite. They lived in splendid isolation never realizing the oppression their actions may be placing on the people. King Nebuchadnezzar had placed great burdens on his people and really didn’t care as long as he was satisfied.
2. When we live looking down on others it displeased God very much. We are all created equally in the eyes of God. God isn’t impressed near as much as we are with cliques and money. The way people dress, what they drive where they live. God expects us to treat the poor stranger just as kind as we do our own friends.
3. The saved should not look down our noses at the lost. That is pride. It is hard for us to understand that God loves them just as much as he does us. We should not ever feel that God loves us more just because we’re saved.
4. Acts 10:34 ...God is no respecter of persons.
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II. “NEVER COMPROMISE THE TRUTH!”
- THE INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAM- (v 19-26)
(a) DANIEL DIDN’T COMPROMISE
1. Daniel had surely heard of what the king had done to his friends in the furnace. He knew the king had a horrible temper. Rather than be afraid of the consequences of the truth, he chose to tell the truth & leave the results to God.
2. Many of God’s people are turning from truth out of fear of the consequences. Prophets/preachers today preaching to please their congregations out of fear of losing the few they have, or fear of being ran off. The church would be much better off if men of God would cling to the truth.
(b) THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS RIGHT
1. Is it ok to turn from the truth to keep someone from getting hurt?
2. Is it ok to turn from the truth if no one gets hurt?
3. Many are not only turning from speaking truth, but turning from hearing and believing the truth.
4. Cling to God’s Word! Even when it hurts, cling to it!
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III. “THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY TO ESCAPE MY WRATH - REPENTANCE!” (v 27)
(a) IT’S TIME TO TURN FROM IT
1. The king had acknowledged God for the past three chapters, God was saying, “now it’s time to change.”
2. God was about to pour his judgement out on the king, but was telling him, “turn and I’ll spare you!”
3. God is telling us today, REPENT! Stop playing around. Stop professing sin and going on living in it. TURN FROM IT!
4. Some believers are about to reap the results of ignoring God’s plea’s to REPENT.
5. Notice that repentance is more than admittance. God is telling the king, CHANGE! Stop oppressing the poor!
(b) NO GUARANTEE OF NOT REAPING THE BENEFITS OF SIN
1. Don’t come to the understanding that if we repent we bypass the results of our sin.
2. Just because we escape the punishment from God, we still reap what we have sown.
3. When God forgave me I still reaped the sin I had sown.
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IV. “I’M PATIENT, BUT I AM JUST!” (v 28-33)
(a) JUST BECAUSE YOU DON’T REAP IMMEDIATELY DOESN’T MEAN YOU WON’T REAP
1. v 29 - A year had past and it appeared that God may have forgotten the dream He gave the king.
2. God was giving the king every opportunity to acknowledge Him and turn from his sin and pride.
3. Ecclesiastes 8:11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong.
4. In Genesis 6:3 God gave man 120 years to repent before he sent the flood to destroy mankind.
5. Just because God hasn’t dealt with your sin doesn’t mean that He has forgotten. He is giving you time to turn from it.
Don’t push Him though, because He is just.
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V. “RAISE YOUR EYES TO ME, ACKNOWLEDGE ME, AND I WILL FORGIVE YOU!” (v 34-35)
(a) HIS FORGIVENESS REACHES FAR AWAY PLACES
1. It appeared that all was over for the king. He had been banished from his kingdom, but God wasn’t through with him.
2. God is calling out to mankind today. TURN TO ME AND I WILL FORGIVE YOU.
3. “Oh I’ve gone too far. God would never forgive me for what I’ve done.”
4. God has reached in further places than where you are.
5. The belly of a great fish. The Damascus road. The Bathsheba trap.
6. God can and will forgive you if you will simply turn to Him.
(b) THE SIMPLICITY OF FORGIVENESS
1. We try to complicate the process. “Well you have to walk the isle, stand before the church, get baptized. LOOK UP!
2. Salvation is in the heart not on the skin.
3. Simply acknowledge God for who He is and surrender to Him . Then He will forgive you!
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VI. “I WILL NOT ONLY FORGIVE YOU, BUT I WILL COMPLETELY RESTORE YOU!” (v 36-37)
(a) HE GOT HIS LIFE BACK
1. So many today have lost the thrill of life. Sin has cost such a great price that life seems so distant and worthless.
2. When God forgives He also restores.
3. When we gave our lives to God, He took us and placed us back in the track of life.
4. When my wife and I first got married, we had dreams of what we wanted our life and family to be like. The course of sin robbed us of all of that. The blood of Jesus not only forgave us, but as time passed, our lives became so fruitful. God began to restore us far and beyond what we ever could have dreamed.
5. Someone might would say, “What about someone who has been divorced? God rarely restores the divorced family!” God never promises that He will put things back the way they were. He promised to restore you to a KINGDOM RESTORATION. A divorced person may not always get back together, but God will put the persons life back together
6. Many today just need their life back. The desire to live again. To see the spark of life. BE PATIENT! LET GOD DO A WORK IN YOU AND IN HIS TIME HE WILL RESTORE YOU.
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VII. “WHEN ALL IS DONE, TELL EVERYONE WHO HAS BLESSED YOU!” (v 1-3)
(a) THE KINGS PROCLAMATION IS A RESULT OF ALL THAT GOD HAD DONE
1. The king sent this proclamation because God had done a great work in his life.
2. God desires for us to tell all that He has done for us.
3. Do we proclaim to others what all God does for us?
4. This king made a proclamation to all the kingdom as to what God had done for him.
5. God is telling us, proclaim His goodness.
(b) THE KING FINALLY RECEIVED JEHOVAH AS HIS GOD
1. After three chapters of watching the king flirt with surrendering to God we finally see him surrender.
(c) THERE WAS A FOUR FOLD PURPOSE TO JUDAH BEING CAPTIVE TO BABYLON
1. Punishment for turning to other God’s rather than following God.
2. To show the world God’s desire to save more than just the Jews.
3. To put the Jews in a place where they would have to lean on God again. Many times we get in our comfort zones and God has to put a trial in our way to turn back to Him.
4. If the Jews weren’t going to praise God, He would bless other people to give a witness to Him.
